Device for stabilizing legged furniture



Dec. 28, 1965 K. FAUL DEVICE Fon STAEILIZING LEGGED FURNITURE 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 26, 1964 FIG. 7

INVENTOR FAUL.

De 28, 1955 K. FAUI. 3,225,380

DEVICE FOR STABILIZING' LEGGED FURNITURE Filed June 26, 1964 2Sheets-Sheet 2 FG.3 FG

United States Patent C) 3,225,380 DEVICE FOR STABILiZlN G LEGGEDFURNITURE Karl Faul, 109 Gumpendorferstrasse, Vienna Vl, Austria Filed.lune 26, 1964, Ser. No. 378,339 Claims priority, application Austria,July 4, 1963, A. 5,333/63 4 Claims. (Cl. 16-32) This invention relatesto a device for stabilizing legged furniture, particularly tables, whichare unsteady because their legs have uneven lengths or stand on anuneven oor.

For this purpose, devices have already been disclosed which consist oftwo telescoped parts, which are cushioned by a coil spring and securedto the lower ends of the table legs as an aligned extension thereof. Toavoid a resilient movement of the table when the same is loaded orunloaded, the space around the spring is filled with a liquid and theinner end of the extensible part is connected by a short piston rod to atightly fitted piston, which has a bore forming an oriiice. During adisplacement of the telescoped parts, the liquid flows through thisorifice from one side to the piston to the other so that the otherwiseensuing vibrational movement of the table is damped.

The sealing of the hydraulic dashpot involves difficulties and givesrise to trouble.

The present invention provides between the two telescoped parts a layerof material having a high toughness for braking the outward movement ofthe telescoped part caused under the inuence of said pressure element.This interlayer has the advantage that owing to its toughness it cannotflow out of the housing so that there is no need for a seal.

It is another feature of the invention that said layer is formed by anonhardenable, adhesive mass.

Finally it is a feature of the invention that the surfaces of the partswhich are braked by said layer are roughened or provided withdepressions or elevations.

Four illustrative embodiments of the invention are shown in axiallongitudinal sectional views in the drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal section view taken axially of a furniture legcastor device according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 of a modified device;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of an embodimentsimilar to that of FIG. 1 in which the surfaces of the telescoping partsare roughened; and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of an embodimentsimilar to that of FIG. 2 in which certain surfaces of the telescopingparts are provided with elevations and depressions.

The device shown in FIG. 1 comprises a cylindrical housing 1, which isclosed at its top and inserted into and fixed in an axial bore in thelower end of the table leg. A piston 2 is axially slidable in thehousing 1 and is provided at its inner end with a bore 3 for receiving acoil spring 4, the free end of which bears on the cover 5 ofthevhousing 1. The outer end of the piston 2 is offset and terminates ina ball 6, which is rotatably mounted in a socket 7 of a leg part 8. Theball and socket arrangemen may be replaced by a roller. A layer 9consisting of aatough, preferably adhesive mass is provided between thepiston 2 and the housing 1 and exerts a strong braking effect on themovement between the piston 2 and the housing 1. This mass may consistof a non-hardenable gumlike substance, such as birdlime. A mass such asis used on self-adhering tapes of paper or plastics material may also beused with success. The rim of the open end of the housing 1 is turnedinwardly. This bead 10 is formed when the device has been assembled and3,225,380 Patented Dec. 28, 1965 protrudes into the path of the shoulder11 of the piston 2 to limit its movement.

The described device is mainly intended for tables having four legs andis attached to each leg. The rate of the spring 4 and its length aredesigned so that the devices at three legs are substantially completelyextended, with the piston 2 in its fully extended position, whereas anydifference between the height of the legs or surface irregularities iscompensated at the fourth leg.

The device shown in FIG. 2 is similar in construction to that of FIG. 1with the difference that the bore 3 in the piston is longer and receivesan extension 12 of the cover 5. The spring 4 bears on this extension.Different from the form shown, the layer 9 may be provided between theextension 12 and the wall of the bore 3 or at both points.

To increase the adherence of the layer 9 to the walls of the assembledparts, these may be roughened, as shown in FIG. 3 or provided withelevations or depressions as illustrated in FIG. 4.

It will be understood that further modifications in design are possiblewithin the scope of the invention. For instance, more than twotelescoped parts may be used. In this case the braking layer 9 may beselectively provided between two or more of the parts.

What is claimed is:

1. A device for stabilizing furniture of a type suitable for positioningon a floor having irregularities and normally occupied or used withoutmovement, comprising a tubular housing insertable in the axial directioninto a furniture leg from the underside, at least one axiallydisplaceable, downwardly protruding, telescoping part closely fitting inand slideably disposed in said cylindrical housing to form an alignedextension of the furniture leg and to rest on a floor, a pressureelement disposed between said housing and said telescoping part to exertaxial pressure therebetween for pushing said telescoping part partly outof the housing, and a thin layer of a soft, nonhardenable, adhesive,friction material disposed between the surfaces of said telescoping partand said housing which are in sliding engagement for braking therelative sliding movements of the telescoping part with respect to thetubular housing.

2. A device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said surfaces of thetelescoping part and of the housing which enclose the layer of frictionmaterial are roughened.

3. A device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said surfaces of thetelescoping part and of the housing which enclose the layer of frictionmaterial are provided with elevations and depressions.

4. A device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said tubular housing isprovided with a downward extension which projects into a bore having abottom and disposed in said telescoping part, said pressure elementbeing seated on said bottom, and a layer of soft friction materialdisposed between the wall of said bore and said extension.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 426,020 4/ 1890Howell 16-44 2,176,551 11/1939 Solem 16-44 X 2,243,565 5/1941 Kimball etal 16-44 X 2,796,953 6/1957 Becker 18S-101 X 2,852,883 9/1958 Walsh16-44 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,026,764 5/ 195 3 France.

680,851 11/1952 Great Britain.

JOSEPH D. SEERS, Primary Examiner.

D. L. BURGESS, Assistant Examiner.

1. A DEVICE FOR STABILIZING FURNITURE OF A TYPE SUITABLE FOR POSITIONINGON A FLOOR HAVING IRREGULARITIES AND NORMALLY OCCUPIED OR USED WITHOUTMOVEMENT, COMPRISING A TUBULAR HOUSING INSERTABLE IN THE AXIAL DIRECTIONINTO A FURNITURE LEG FROM THE UNDERSIDE, AT LEAST ONE AXIALLYDISPLACEABLE, DOWNWARDLY PROTRUDING, TELESCOPING PART CLOSELY FITTING INAND SLIDEABLY DISPOSED IN SAID CYLINDRICAL HOUSING TO FORM AN ALIGNEDEXTENSION OF THE FURNITURE LEG AND TO REST ON A FLOOR, A PRESSUREELEMENT DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID HOUSING AND SAID TELESCOPING PART TO EXERTAXIAL PRESSURE THEREBETWEEN FOR PUSHING SAID TELESCOPING PART PARTLY OUTOF THE HOUSING, AND A THIN LAYER OF A SOFT, NONHARDENABLE, ADHESIVE,FRICTION MATERIAL DISPOSED BETWEEN THE SURFACES OF SAID TELESCOPING PARTAND SAID HOUSING WHICH ARE IN SLIDING ENGAGEMENT FOR BRAKING THERELATIVE SLIDING MOVEMENTS OF THE TELESCOPING PART WITH RESPECT TO THETUBULAR HOUSING.